₦airaland Forum

bixton:
. When you go looking at people's profile it shows your level of maturity. What I do with my private life is my personal business.
We all have other curricular activities we indulge in .....I am certain you have yours.

I noticed you didn't bother to profile people either, when you tried to score a cheap point with Oga Hajji over pop thickness.

I will report you to Oga EgunMogaji

allCopacetic:
I hate to say I told you so, but...I told u so (even though you were blessing my akkant)
Definitely an Overkill... But on the flip side, you're in the ultimate safe position. all your cables will be on paid vacation for the rest of thier life... Just "chilling"

I give it to you.

But you never mentioned the conduit pipe diameter was a constraint.

bixton:
. If I want to seek relevance I know where to do that.
I quoted you based on what you posted. You joked about your responses.
You can keep your experiences to your self.
I do not know how many years experience you have in the field but I have been in the field since 2004 and not by proxy.
If you know the ethics of your profession as an engineer you'll know it's against the rules/regulations for you to do advertisement on social forums.
I leave you to your antics.
Have a wonderful day.

See kettle calling pot black!
Since 2004? In construction or fixed odds?

earthrealm:
the above may have been ok...if you bought inferior/non reputable cables...........but if you bought original cables like coleman, then its a sure overkill.

i loved the learning points u highlighted...wish other people would come post theirs...so newbies like us could learn

I did what any "OVER SABI" newbie engineer would have done:

I asked for electrical load calc sheet, it was N/A (not part of the building plan)

I asked for factor of safety in wire selection, they said it was the standard (a generic rule of thumb)

I asked for the disadvantage of increasing wire guage, there was no known disadvantage at the time other than cost

bixton:
you complain about faults in your work. What mix ratio did you use in your block moulding when using stone and sharp sand and what mix ratio did you use in casting your tank stand?

Stop seeking relevance!

I shared my REX (Return On Experience). Do you have any?

Stick to giving construction cost estimates.

bixton:
. Very interesting views...............if you're using the same mix ratio when stone dust is an aggregate and 3/4 granite as aggregate too in serving the same purpose then that's where you need to check your ratio.
I quoted your post based on your choice of words/terms (cost---cheap---comparison).
Engineering principles are applied to commercial purposes for economic benefits on the long term purposes.
Costing of projects are done based on finances of client and availability of readily available materials within the immediate environment of project.

Am struggling to get ur point

Daboomb:
At the highlighted.

Did you just do a 'copy & paste' or where is the White men number and price list you referred to?

Mistake?

He did attach a price list but later removed it for God knows why

EgunMogaji:
You're the type of people that I respect the most. Doer's and tryer's.

It's one thing to have ideas, it's another thing to apply those ideas and then the greatest task of all is to make corrections and fine tuning those ideas.

Ultimately, what I wanted was a well finished and safe house. I originally thought I had to bring everything from the US. Not only because I feel that they are better but it is what I know. If I was living in Timbuktu then that would be what I knew and what I woudl want. People think that I was being aloof but I know US poducts because I have been here since 1986.

I was encouraged first by reading a few of "Buy Nigeria To Grow Teh Naira" campaign. I then "entered the market" to see things for myself. I was pleasantly surprised. On electrical cables as an example, if one is lucky enough to get genuine Nigerian made cables then it is just as good as US ones.

Anyways, any reasonable person that is employed as a corporate professional should be able to make changes when needed.

In the end, yours was truly cost effective and arguably makes better financial sense, as long as you like what you got.

I thank God you didn't import all those electronics due to lack of support/maintenance issues. Currently I have an amp/speaker combo and a 15kva inverter that cannot be repaired in Nigeria except I ship it out to the States.

bixton:
. Is this response from an engineering perspective or from an economical perspective?

I don't know the difference oohh. I thought engineering was the commercial application of science and technology to make economic sense.

My reasoning is subjective and maybe biased shaa.

For the economic perspective, I arrived at the conclusion due to retrospective calculations on the cost per milestone analysis made from the comfort of my bed over a mortuary cold bottle of blue label .

For the engineering perspective, I used three unscientific uncontrolled and random events as my base.

I started moulding blocks and bricks with stonedust but when I ran out of stonedust, I fellback to sharp sand. During the drop test after 28days I thought the stonedust blocks broke in slightly larger chunks than the sharpsand blocks, but since this was done for fun in an uncontrolled environment, I can't know if placebo effect was in play.

When the time came for demolition of a part built with a mix of stonedust and sharpsand, my boys couldn't tell the difference, so I assumed the strength diff was marginal. Also I noticed when the sharp sand had the slightest contamination of clay or silt, it produced rough edges on the bricks cause it easily chipped off while because the stonedust was homogeneous, this didn't happen in with it

The third was feedback from a leaking roof from a water tank placed on the deck that was cast with stonedust.

So, as you can see, I was only airing my personal feelings

erico2k2:
I have already penned that down in my new build,,Im deff having a 3 inch high skirting board, I dont like that tile finish one

It would give a stylish look. And it makes it easier to hide wires of home entertainment systems.

kopell:
Wood ke how?

You can google wooden baseboard or wall skirtings for pictures.

Done by same carpenters that do interior decor and kitchen cabinets.

Older designs used to be popular with court houses, legislative chambers and the alters of some pentecostal churches and some hotels back in the day (they called it mansonia panelling) so its not new. Only the designs were modenised

debeo:
I seriously don't want to believe it is spiritual, am a realist!
I've discovered that Japmobile parts wear faster than German cars.

Your problem was a bad mechanic that used trial and error. I have seen people aution there car because of a misdiagnosed brainbox problem.

This is the reason why people generally buy same cars their neighbours or colleagues are already driving in the hopes that the mechanics have already used those cars for trial and error while the owner would have discovered the best skilled mech for the car.

OEM Japanese parts lasts almost as long as the merc parts do.
The challenge is that we buy generic parts as "follow come" due to affordability. Due to limited size of market for Mercedes parts and the higher buying power of the class of society that usually go for it, there are more branded merc parts which is why they are more expensive and more durable.

Marilo:
That's a new one for me but there is this arguement about stone dust offering better protection on the iron rods as sharp sand may contain from element of salinity.

Yes it does as saltwater is a better electrolyte(compared to freshwater) to aggravate corrosion. However the stonedust does not eliminate the galvanic corrosion, only reduces it. But waterproofing with suitable additives is 100% corrosion protection as without moisture there will be no electrolyte and no corrosion.

If not for the abrasion and possible erosion of the rods circumference during casting, it would theoretically have been easier and better to just coat the rods with grease or paint before casting.

This would make a good project topic shaa.

Marilo:
Is using stone dust for blocks a mistake? Can you explain how it turned out to be a mistake?

Stonedust is better when cost is not an issue.

There was only a marginal increase in strength achieved by using stonedust. And compared to the cost, it was waste as such strength could also be achieved by vibrating the blocks.

It would only make sense in areas where sharp sand sourcing is challenging.

For casting, adding a waterproofing additive (just to N700/bag then) was more effective compared to stonedust waterproofing ability.

Kadiri07:
I considered interlocking, but was told by my bricklayer that my land isn't waterlogged so there is no need for interlocking and also interlocking is expensive.
I was charged # 80,000 by my bricklayer for the plastering of the fence and flooring of the compound (stamped floor inclusive).
So i wasn't charged based on sqm.
Its over 2months now and no damage yet.

Thanks

At that price you got more than a bargain.
But am guessing at that amount neither mini compactor nor iron mesh was used. I hope you had given the land sufficient time after leveling to settle b4 this.

Even if done improperly, failure should not be expected until the 2nd year when the soil has had time for differential settlement/subsidence. And even then, depending on slab thickness, might require vehicular movement for failure to occur.

I used to laugh at EgunMogaji when he didn't import all the stuff he said he would, but given what I know now, his new approach is the best. After this my first and only build, I have decided to go back to buying completed houses provided they were built by reputable companies or their Cooperative societies.

I made a lot of regrettable mistakes like:

Trying to renovate rather than build afresh cause Qs said it was way cheaper.

Demolishing part of the structure cause a reputable NL Builder said structure would fail simply cause 6" blocks were used which limited the size of the columns and that the footings were 2.75x2.75 instead of the minimum standard of 3x3 without factoring that the reason was because the avg span of columns was 2meters and max span about 3m in one or two places.

Using 4mm cable for sockets and 2.5mm for lighting and 35mm amoured for supply resulting in cost of 3.3mil for a 4bed duplex plus now I have to crack walls to add new piping for any amendment as no extra wire can pass through the conduits.

Going by Brabus advice to cast 4feet below ground around entire fence to keep water from a nearby man made pit from getting to the house foundation. It didn't stop the water but filling the pit did.

Using stone dust for block and interlock moulding.

Using Spanish tiles which turned out to be very slippery while the Nigerian look alike was not slippery at all.

Not bonding my lightening arrestor with my house earthing system which costed me millions in damages.

Oversizing of overhead water tanks which meant it took 5days of max water usage to empty tanks and did encourage coliform bacteria growth

Not supervising the work myself and having engineers and supervisors build what suited them. Plus they carelessly broke a large screen tv

Installing my main gate during construction which meant much repairs and modifications during landscaping and interlocking

And the list goes on.

EgunMogaji:
Wow..thanks Sir.

This exact model? Other than the ignition issues, how's the fit and finish holding up?

Other than that it was perfect and cost effective.
I bought it for around 35k but my spouse preferred it to our then standing coker of 110k.

anochuks08:
Sir, thanks for this enlightenment. My engineer said same thing regarding the metcoppo and suggested I roof with long span cos of its notorious leaking nature. With this your write up, am really having a rethink.

I think the problem with the metcoppo is due to mistakes during cutting of the edges due to defective machinery. In my experience, all first aluminium factory cut metcoppo roofs (10 of them)did not suffer any major leak in the first 2years. Also, most open market sourced 0.45mm are actually 0.35mm hence they are too thin for either metcoppo or step tile press stress.

diordaves:
That background is high maintenance in Nigeria. If Nigerian, mud and dirty fingers catch that wall, I no think say you go like am after few months. You will need to paint every now and then.

Its sensitive to our routine floor mopping with water.

The alternative is to use polystyrene which is ready made and simply glued to the wall and has far more beautiful designs to choose from.

But the cheapest is to use wood, but the finishing is highly dependant on the skill of the carpenter.

Truthinlife:
Yes bro,
I'm with you on this, especially stamping. Jobs done, pictures and contacts, so we can all learn and make proposals based on merit/references.

Stamping is far more expensive and fail quickly when not properly executed in-terms of the slab thickness, wiremesh and firmness of the soil.

Interlocks are more rugged and failure is usually locallised and isolated. Also intricate paterns can also be achieved with coloured interlocks but drives the cost closer to that of stamped concrete

EgunMogaji:
Found the info I needed, in case it's useful for others.

Performed wonderfully for about 18 months, then developed a fault with the electrical ignition system causing small earth leakage current. The fix was to completely disconnect the ignition and use a handheld lighter.

Where is the rest of the story! !! !!!

I was hoping to read about:
*the motive of the crime (jealous wife or abandoned fiencee)
*the location of the accident
*how passersby refused to take you to hospital until one good samaritan showed up
*how the first hospital refused to attend to you without a deposit
*how the perpetrator was arrested and finally brought to book

spyder880:
Good.

I have a question, do you serve these papers and follow up to ensure that the builders/owners comply to the rules before moving into their new houses? I hope you are referring to Lagos and Abuja alone?

Your question is kind of confusing.

For starters am no expert and what I know is generally gathered from years of observation of the workings of some state Authorities. I assume that since the state laws are generally derived from the federal decree, then disparities should be minimal

Normally they just end up serving you a notice of violation and expect you to come settle. However they have the power to recommend your house for demolition. In PH they mobilised to demolish one building because of setback violation after the Neighbour claimed that rain water from that compound's roof fell directly into his plot. The landlord had to couch out close to a million. In Abuja and Warri I have witnessed houses demolished for reasons like blocking of flood ways / drainage masterplan.

You know that leaving a police case file open when the case is cold is generally asking for future wahala from some smart asS corrupt officer. So its cheaper to go by the book.

spyder880:
In Nigeria, you just pack into the new house as soon as you like, completed or not. The only people who come to inspect are the religious groups, family and friends during house warming parties. No form of government inspection after construction.

Town planning Authority is supposed to inspect and certify a building fit before occupancy.
Infact after building plan approval, we are supposed to serve them with notice of commencement and of completion for them to dispatch their inspectors for site visit

allCopacetic:
Oh, then I understood you out of context Sir. I made a blanket statement to infer that integrity issue can come up, which was why my response was general.

Speaking of guarantees, I prefer to let my reputation speak. no seller would admit to selling you fakes in the first place. It's not difficult to come out and shout integrity integrity

But since you insist on a direct answer, let me be VERY categorical

"ALL" our Cables are supplied by the Factory, So they are 100% guaranteed to be authentic.
We do not directly or indirectly sell or encourage the sale of adulterated cables (which infact greatly affect our business)
If our pricing does not work, it's goodbye and thanks for considering us.

Due to repeated cases of unsatisfactory customer service and aftersales support, I stopped every NL biz transaction.

But for AllCopacetic I made an exception because he has, till date, been the only NL contact that follows through with his WARRANTY, going as far as to replace defective items as well as goods missing in transit.

@AllCopacetic please bear with me. The Tyranny of time affects even my most notable intentions.

Qc1:
I need 80 pieces of POP spot light, can you do wholesales price?

Considering that you might not have time to play the game, why not stick with a tested and trusted Supplier like
AllCopacetic?

Even Oga Hajji can vouch for him

Or maybe you were assuming these blocks will be left as is, and not filled with concrete?

abdulwastecx:
The strength of such wall is far lower than that of a full concrete wall when use to retain earth because of the horizontal soil bearing pressure of surrounding saturated soil because of lack of adequate provision for the moment at the base of such walls.

A sancrete block wall with a rebar, casted with a weak concrete is the correct ways to build load bearing partition walls.

What are we talking about if not sandcrete blocks with rebar inserted into the hollow blocks and anchored to the concrete base slab, with the block hollow spaces hand filled with concrete every four coaches. And who said they were load bearing walls when the roof slab weight is supported by appropriately sized columns well spaced usually at the edges (provided the span is within 5meters)

Please check my post again

InvertedHammer:
I think the thread was derailed.

I haven't seen this before in Nigeria. I think it adds to the structural integrity of the house especially since California is prone to earthquake. They insert rods about 4ft apart in hollow blocks while building side walls.

Check this out:

It's currently the preferred method in modern septic tank construction in south south Nigeria.

Although slightly cheaper than full concrete wall, it almost equals it in strength.
It became popular cause ordinary sandcrete block septic tanks eventually failed due to increasing tension from the backfilled soil against the wall holding more and more water from flooding due to blocked drains.

However since earthquakes are least of our worries, it is considered an overkill for anything else other than a security room / bunker

kuuljay:
bross give us details so na so mosquito for just delete you,loool

Which detail you want know make I turn am to movie script LOL. Most important detail is that I lived to tell it.

chineduemmao:
busybody! nairaland no be quora, you know how many times wey i don ask question and nobody cares to answer?

Likely your questions are asked either on the wrong thread or at the appropriate thread (at the wrong time) after it has gone cold.

Most folks are eager to provide an answer even if it's the wrong answer.

EgunMogaji:
Also, set up your own thread and populate it with titillating facts about horticulture and why homeowners should consider it as well as past jobs.

Good luck.

PS: You have a captivating audience here and you're one of the very few landscape folks here. Very few so "Carpe Diem".

It's not easy to maintain a thread if you don't have sufficient content, and using Internet pictures alone won't get you far.

You need content to keep ur thread from being pushed to the bottom of the list. It needs to be fresh and educative to attract further comments, replies and enquiries. And you need these to get a slot at FP. And you need that slot to quickly break into the market.

The advice to open up a thread for marketing might not work well for you at the moment. You can still open a general information / discussion thread about landscaping though . My 2cents.